By Sixolise Gcilishe
Dear commander in chief Julius Sello Malema. Facebook has an interesting function – it brings you memoirs of what you posted in the past.
My page recalls events of a decade and more, so I have been in awe of how some things have remained the same while others have changed. That was the era of Cope, and I was part of it. I was emotionally invested in redeeming the recalled president Thabo Mbeki.
I laugh at the mixed feelings I held towards you because you were calling out white people on their bull****, which I liked, but I didn’t fancy that you seemed to dislike former president Thabo Mbeki, my favourite. I didn’t care for your movement.
Facebook helped me reflect on the things I admired about you. You encouraged young people to go to school, at a time when your matric results were publicised and everyone was mocking your woodwork marks.
You advocated for the return of the land, something that appealed to me. The value you put on African people reminded me of how my grandmother convinced me that I was the most brilliant and beautiful girl in the world and destined for great things.
I reflected on one of your talks, where you said your movement wasn’t fighting so that young people could be mere receptionists; African children belonged in strategic positions.
I was engrossed in you poking fun at your organisation, calling them out on their double standards, constantly trying to be diplomatic about the issue of land, yet they were the ones who had told young people that colonisers stole our land.
You valued progress and demanded from your leaders time frames on resolutions. The EFF election manifesto of 2019 carried time frames.
Upon the EFF’s inception, people expected me to join the EFF. I admitted to crushing on the organisation but I was too wounded by Cope. A project so beautiful, ruined by power-hungry non-thinkers who each thought it was their time, with little regard for the bigger picture - the people.
Last month, the EFF celebrated seven years of existence. Your leadership got us here. I am proud that our organisation has achieved so much with regard to issues of women. Women occupy senior positions in the EFF and seats in Parliament.
The EFF will be launching a gender-based violence desk to help assist all women. As the EFF, issues of women are at the top of our agenda.
It is under your leadership, that our organisation became the only party that has a higher gender balance in Parliament, provincial legislatures and municipal councils.
The EFF has also set up a labour desk led by capable women, to intervene in all labour-related issues.
I am inspired that under your leadership, we will be assisting Rhodes University activists who were expelled for life on “conduct beyond lawful boundaries”, for protesting against the rape culture at the institution.
During this month we should extend our gratitude to you for being an ally. We will continue to create a human chain with the African women of our country.
We are proud of being associated with you.
Sixolise Gcilishe is EFF national communications manager
The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of Independent Media